Systematic Review of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Specific Aims: The specific aim of this systematic review is to examine the effects of omega-3 fatty acid (FA) treatment on delaying rheumatoid arthritis progression. Our primary working hypothesis is that omega-3 fatty acid treatment increases quality of life while decreasing overall pain and inflammation. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the following terms on Pubmed and Embase: “omega 3”, or “fish oil”, or “DHA”, or “EPA” and “rheumatoid arthritis”. The search included articles occurring between 2003 and 2018. Included studies were written in English and performed on humans. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to each study resulting in five analyzed articles.. Main Results: Of 681 identified articles, five were reviewed. In Proudman, S.M. et al., patients receiving omega-3 FA experienced a lower failure rate with triple DMARD therapy (HR=0.28 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.63;p=0.002). In Bahadori et al., swollen joint count was significantly lower in the omega-3 FA group compared to the placebo group after a week of daily infusions (omega-3 FA group: median 3; range, 0-7; placebo group: 8; 1-19; P = .002) and also 2 weeks after daily infusions (omega-3 FA group: 1, 0-9; placebo group: 7; 0-16; P =. 046). The three remaining studies indicated considerable improvements in tender and swollen joints counts, joint pain intensity, and hand strength after omega-3 FA supplementation. Conclusions: Supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with benefits such as: lower swollen joint count, improvement in tender and swollen joints, improvement in joint pain intensity, and increased hand strength.